Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-14
Here not sure. The colored wltnesea were

were not sure. The cclored witnesses were
The verdict was that "Fannis Lillian
Madison came 90 her death by drowning Ia
The Old reservoir, on the night of the isth
of March, 1883. and that Thomas Judson
Cluverus either directly or indirectly
About this time all the water was drawn
nom the reservoir and eli the sedtmeniary
deposits tsRen out, butnothlng was seen OF
decesssds ring or little satchel. Tney we're
never fond.
Court, Cluvcrius was indicted April 8. 1859.
quay gsPANELEED.
Tuesday, May 9Th at time when the
ruOlic mind was still somewhat excited
the prisoner was brought up for trial. De.
fence (Judge Crump. Bev. Crump Hoo. "a
Il Pollard, and Hon. A. X. Evans) sAid
they we're ready. Prisoner pleaded mot
guilty" and the esD paneiitug OF Jury was
begun, out OF one thousand men sum.
monec only ten we're found qualified the
Others hsd formed opiniOns. or were ex-
empt from service.
The Sergeant vas then sent 20 Alexan.
dria aud the Jury was finally formed rs
follows: Henry Ksppler, Ronmoid; VA
Parker, Richmond; John 7. Heath. klca'
mond William ID. Tree Richmond Car
ter n. Harrison, Rich mond; 8. j.. Davis
Richmond: X. j. French, Alexandria; !.
T. sherwood. Alexandri&; w. 7. HerfOck.
Alexandra, n. A, Howell. Alexandra; Z
E French, Alexandra; ". IA. 4. Berkeley
NAY isih the Com n,oawealh's repre-.
EentRtives, Mr, O. v. Meredith and Colonel
w X AYlett, put their nrst witness. Mr:
l.. W. Rose. superintendent OF the ga
reservoir, on the stand.
VISIT TO THE RESERVOIR.
Nav 18Th tusge, Jury. counsel. and prl-
g0ner visited the reservoir grOunoS On
this trip the "prisoner retained mis- perfect
cslmness. AZ one time no was standing on
har ha A.. "a
crushed granite waikw were seen. Eve
~ body was cycling him, and he knew IL;
bnt he was absolutely without emotion,
BE looked into the reservoir as calmly as
any one present. There Was 90 sign OF recog.
milton OF any object. no moisture OF the
eye. 10 pallorof the cheek. no ouiVerinR OF
The muscles OF the lips, no cnsnge OF coior
he stood there in the bright sunshine. his
HANDS crossed behind him. his knees Arm,
his expression unchanged" When III Tue
field near the desd-house ne stopped
plucked n buttercup. and carried IL IN hls
hand for good while.
IMPORTANT LINKS.
Much OF the testimony produced 90 the
trial is given above. but n few additional
points wiz be aluoeo TO rather than de-
A colored man named Aaron watkins,
who lives ia the Vicinity OF the reservoir.
TESTIFIED that he heard the agoniZing
screams Of 81 woman on the nlgBt Ia ques-
tiop. Colonel James well-known citlZen,
testified that he saw Cluverius and ayOung
woman (wnom from photograph shown
him, ne recognized SIS Lillian Madison 10
eether on the street near the American
Hotel that day. joel Identified Ciuverlus
IS the man for whom he bad !whi,le Going
business in CeDtIcvilie) put p steel % trrei or
pipe In @ gold watoh-key. Tho KEY shown
him by the prosecution he Thought was the
same, but hs would not he sure. TO ne
positive be declared that he must open the
key and see his work. TO this defence sue
cessfuly objected.
During the Investigation by the Coroner's
jury this key. then Just found was shown 10
the seIvspt Hunt, and he said that he had
eeena similar one GA the bureau In de-
ceaseds room 81 the American. Upon this
statement defence greatly relied TO dispose
OF the key, but upon the tfiai Hunt tesii-
fed that he was satieIed that what he took
20 be akey on the bnieau was the brass
hinges on that sTticle OF furniture,
IL is charged that CluveTlus and Lillian
went nom the American Hotel 10 Reser'
Volr street on street car. william Tucker
co.ofed driver of the tug horse posi-
lively Identified him. Mr.. Williams the
couple AZ Reservoir street NJ 9:85, hut
could not swear that Cluverius was the
man. DR.. Strstfon met such . couple st
the corner OF Reservoir and Cary street.
Thought prisoner was the man, but would
not be sure. All three OF these important
witnesses thought that the man seen by
them lad moustsohe. wheTeup0n defence
claimed that then IL could not have been
several Of the workmen employed at the
Nail WoTks at Belle Isle identified CluVe-
Jius as the man who, with youOg woman
visited that place about 1890 March l3tn.
One or more OF them were positive That he
was The man; the majority OF them said
they thought 60, but were not certain. one
witness pisced The hour OF the visit between
2 and L. NJ. Mr.. william Martin. OF Man
chester, saw Cluverius aud the young
woman on the Belief Isle bridge, and heard
her remark, VIM, Cousin IOmmLe"
Two common women from Fifteenth
street houEe swoTe that Cluyerius brought o
wOman-dIeEsed rs Lillian WaS-there on
the 18Th. and occupied room. They also
said that the same couple were there in
January. Another woman OF the town
gave positive evidence that she he'd known
ClnveTius for a considerable time as Merton
Mir. Doug. Workman depOsed that he
observed Cluverius In the Police Court
room, and that piisOntr actions led him
(wilDess) 10 believe that he was tryin TO
hide the scratch on his hand.
Mir. Morgan Treat TO the bsst or his
knowledge and belief, saw prisoner in the
American Hotel Office about s O'Clock "a
the night of the murder.
Row 1T IS THOUGHT THE MURDER WAS
DONE.
The theory OF the prosecution was that
CluveTius took Lillian into the reservoir
grounds through the hole in the fence; that
on the eiD bankment he struck her several
blows; that, attempting 10 hush her
screams. he put his hand over her mouth;
that she, tofree herself. scratched his baud,
and that finally he struck her 10 inseDsi-
bility, and in that condition lifted her
over the pioket.fence Qotty Inches nigh
into the water, where she was drowned;
that be then grabbed up her clothiug
which he saw on the walkway and escaped
by the hole in the fence, losing his watch
key there aud distributing or dropping the
articles where found. Tue leaving OF the
shawl on Mr.. Dunstan's fence mas always
been mystery. The canvas Gag he Is sup
posed To nave thrown In the river next
morning after he left his hotel to take the
train.
The theory OF the defence was suicide.
They asserted that Lillian had no claim on
CluVerius. They utterly den ed seduction |
they insisted indeed. that improper inter
courss was not proved. They recalled VIII a. |
che had said 10 the conductor about the |
train running of the track; they exhibited |
letter written TO Mrs. Tunhtall some years !
before, showing that Lillian was miserable 4
81 her parents home, and had exclaimed. |
"Oh that suicide were not sin I! They re-
pudiate6 the watch. key, and showed Que |
which they claimed was prisoners. Several |
witnesses were examined on this point.
Tho key found at the reservoir perfectly |
fitted his watch; the key that defence said /
was prisoners did not.
Mr.. Il. W. Cluverius. father OF the pri- |
eoner, stated that the mRfhs on the prlsoa- |
er's hand tof which prisoner had given con-
nicting accountS) were made In his pres |
ence by prisoner slipping and striking the !
back of his hand against rail fence.
The defence fought long against the ad
torn note" bnt unaValiDgiy. They al |
ways insisted that there Was no proof that |
prisoner had any knowledge Of either. !
Judge Atkins admitted both and the Su-
pfeme Count sustained him. as they did ia |
every point raiEed in this long, exciting, and |
exhRusting trial.
Whether prisoner wore moustoch0 In /
January and March was subject OF the most \
contradictory aud unsatisfactory evidence.
As general thikg witnesses for the prose-
cution said that he did those for the de-
fence Eatd he didnt. Likewise was there
conflict as 10 how Cuvezins was dressed IN |
March. All these minute Details VIII nOt
be expected ia q newspaper article and
win not be attempted here.
ALIBI.
The most terrific stroke OF III fortune that
befeI the prisoner WAS IN his failure or IN
ability to prove where he was between
and IL O'Clock OF the night OF the murder
lie had Elid en- route TO Rich mond that he
could account for his every nour here
After the trial was over he moved for ar
rest OF Judgment, claiming that man
named Savage could give valuable testi-
mony on this point. The newspapers made
some investigations. IL was found that
Savage was not even In Richmond that
night. Savage left the Slate.
Later when the case was before the Gov
ernor CluveTiue counted on MIR. h. w. Hen
ley to prove that ne saw Cluverius at Mo-
Fart ball the night In question. Mr. Hem
ley (Nho, by the way, mad D9en witness
A.. Aef. fafa na faIl